Although ASRock's lineup of socket LGA2011 motherboards is expansive, covering several price-points, and being available in various form-factors (ATX, XL-ATX, and Micro-ATX), all its X79 Extreme series motherboards launched so far, barring the X79 Fatal1ty Profess1onal, features the same black+silver color scheme. ASRock wants to add some color and side-branding to its X79 Extreme motherboards without necessarily investing much in coming up with new designs. Hence it came up with the idea of making Hasbro Transformers-themed motherboards.

On its Facebook page, ASRock disclosed some rough-sketches (for now, Photoshop quickies), of the X79 Optimus Prime, and the X79 Bumblebee, named after two of the most iconic Autobots from the franchise. These essentially look like the X79 Extreme9 with appropriately-colored heatsink shrouds and expansion slots. The quality of those pictures indicates that ASRock is still in the brainstorming stage of these products, seeking opinions of its Facebook fans, and it will be a while before these products take shape, if they take shape to begin with.

Taiwanese manufacturer Biostar has this week introduced its very first LGA 2011 motherboard, the previously-leaked TPower X79 targeting enthusiasts, overclockers and gamers.

Biostar’s board has an ATX form factor and features support for Intel’s Sandy Bridge E processors, a 9-phase power design, an 8-layer, 2 oz Copper PCB, four DDR3-2400 memory slots, and three PCI-Express x16 3.0 slots enabling Quad CrossFireX and 3-way SLI setups.

The TPower X79 also comes with dual 8-pin EPS connectors, one PCI and two PCIe x1 slots, three SATA 3.0 Gbps and four SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, one eSATA connector, Gigabit Ethernet, six USB 3.0 ports on the back plate (plus two via a header), 7.1-channel audio, a debug LED, UEFI BIOS, and on-board Power, Reset, and Clear CMOS buttons. Biostar’s board should become available next month.

Intel Ethernet reduces CPU utilization by as much as 35% when processing online activity compared to systems using standard LAN, which combats latency and boosts packet transmission. Better network performance presents an edge for gamers, with the overwhelming importance of global online multiplayer gaming requiring faster connections for a smooth and competitive experience. ROG-exclusive GameFirst contributes to achieving this goal, working as a connection supervisor to prioritize bandwidth availability and ensure games receive sufficient resources, even when downloading occurs in the background. To further accommodate gamers, Rampage IV GENE supports PCI Express 3.0 and 2-way SLI/CrossFireX for increased future proofing and flexibility.

Greater overclocking through improved endurance and stability

Rampage IV GENE ships with the exclusive ROG Extreme Engine Digi+ II design, consisting of digital voltage regulators for refined tuning and higher power efficiency. Gamers can adjust voltages in more precise increments, which aids in overclocking. Supporting this, Black Metallic capacitors and NexFET Power Block MOSFETs easily surpass the capabilities of generic parts. They resist heat better, last up to five times longer, and can take up to 20% higher temperatures than generic components, culminating in a highly durable and long lasting board that reduces the likelihood of instability even when running high intensity applications.

First X79 board officially certified by the USB-IF

In addition to its many advantages, the Rampage IV GENE has also secured the honor of being the first Intel X79-based motherboard formally authorized and certified USB 3.0-ready by the USB Implementers Forum. Certification speaks of the extensive testing and compatibility assurance ASUS puts into every board from early development to shipping. Always committed to advancing technology and giving consumers the best performance possible, ASUS has gone further and self-developed USB 3.0 Boost to accelerate data speeds beyond reference requirements. The multi-mode design of USB 3.0 Boost increases device connectivity for both the traditional BOT protocol and the newer UASP, and its inclusion on ROG boards offers gamers even better value than before.